


not one for long goodbyes

by suddenlyatiger



Series: not one for long goodbyes [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Awkwardness, Fluff, Gen, Getting Together, M/M, POV Derek, POV Stiles, Pre-Slash, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 06:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7156688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suddenlyatiger/pseuds/suddenlyatiger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Don’t call me dude.”</p><p>“That’s not how you greet someone on the phone.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> titles are hard :(
> 
> not beta'd

Stiles carefully balances a highlighter on his top lip as, across the room in the computer chair, Scott frowns over his Chem homework. It’s a slow, calm Sunday afternoon and the boys are enjoying the downtime from the usual supernatural shenanigans. Although Stiles imagines that Scott would probably prefer to be out fighting monsters than facing extra credit Chem worksheets for Harris.

 

The chorus for _Hungry Like the Wolf_ breaks the silence and startles Stiles enough that he jerks forward and sends his highlighter flying off his face and skittering across the floor. Scott, happy for the distraction, spins his chair around to watch Stiles flail for the cellphone on the nightstand.

 

“Does Derek know that that’s what you set as his personal ringtone?” he asks.

 

“Not yet,” Stiles says. He awaits the day when Derek does find out, just to watch him make that constipated face he makes when faced with most of Stiles’ ideas of jokes. Awaits it with glee. He quickly swipes across the phone’s screen to answer the call. “Heeeey, dude.”

 

There’s a silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds, and then “Don’t call me dude.”

 

“That’s not how you greet someone on the phone,” Stiles says.

 

“Shut up, Stiles,” Derek says. “I’m looking for Scott.”

 

“You have found him,” Stiles says, waving a hand in Scott’s direction even though Derek can’t see him. Scott rolls his eyes. “He’s a bit busy at the moment. Chem homework is not agreeing with him.”

 

“Chem homework doesn’t agree with anyone when Harris factors in,” Derek says. That gets a startled laugh out of Stiles, who sometimes forgets that Derek is a real person who grew up in Beacon Hills and had a life where he was fairly normal before he became the person Stiles came to know and lo—know.

 

“Harris is a douche,” Stiles says. “Anyway, it’s not an emergency, is it? Because whatever it is probably isn’t as big as the potential emergency situation we will have if Mrs McCall has to get another phone call about Scott’s grades.”

 

“They’re not that bad!” Scott protests, frowning at Stiles.

 

“Hate to break it to you, Scotty, but yes, they are,” Stiles says. “Better hop to it, that stuff’s due tomorrow.” Scott grumbles and turns back around to face his homework.

 

“Right,” Derek says. “It’s not that urgent, but the full moon is coming up and I don’t want to have another awkward ‘conversation’ with Argent about _certain people_ hanging around Allison’s bedroom window.” Scott lets out a groan and drops his head down on the desk with a solid thump. Stiles snickers.

 

“I did warn you about doing that,” he says.

 

“Shut up,” Scott mumbles.

 

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Stiles says.

 

“I don’t need a babysitter!” Scott exclaims.

 

“You do that,” Derek says, ignoring Scott’s outburst.

 

“He’ll be getting a bedtime that night,” Stiles says.

 

“I hate you both,” Scott says.

 

“Love you too, Scotty,” Stiles says with a cheesy grin.

 

“I’m hanging up now,” Derek says.

 

“Right on,” Stiles says. “Bye, Derek, love you.” He realizes his mistake as soon as he ends the call.

 

“Did you just-?” Scott starts to ask.

 

“OH MY GOD!” Stiles shrieks.

 

-[-----]-

 

Derek is left staring helplessly at his phone when Stiles disconnects the call. He’s not sure how to react, or even if he should. He feels his face heat and hopes he isn’t going completely red.

 

Somewhere behind him, Peter cackles.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> people actually asked for a follow up, so here it is
> 
> :O

_"Bye, Derek, love you."_  

 

Stiles stares at his phone in horror. He can't believe that just happened. He is dead, so, so dead. 

 

Scott seems to have completely abandoned his Chem homework and is now trying to smother his laughter in the crook of his elbow. 

 

He is of absolutely no help here and so Stiles eventually kicks him out. Scott chuckles loudly as he goes. 

 

-[-----]- 

 

It's one of the days that the sheriff is home early enough to have dinner with Stiles. On tonight's menu is vegetarian lasagna. The sheriff makes a face when Stiles serves him, but he practically inhales the food anyway. He makes a more exaggerated face when he's nearly done eating and realizes that Stiles has spent the whole meal mostly pushing food around on his plate. 

 

"Stiles," he says, putting his fork down. Stiles doesn't look up at him. "What's going on?" 

 

"What makes you think that something's going on?" Stiles asks. The sheriff just gives him The Look until Stiles starts fidgeting in his seat. The sheriff has mastered The Look, so much so that it even works when Stiles can't actually see it (even over the phone, it's an art). 

 

"So," Stiles eventually breaks. "Hypothetically speaking." 

 

"Oh, Jesus," the sheriff mutters. That phrase coming from Stiles has never ended well for anyone. 

 

"Say I accidentally told someone I loved them without meaning to," Stiles says. "How would I, _hypothetically_ , go on living in the same town as them without having to worry about getting my face broken? Hypothetically?"  

 

"How did you even manage to accidentally tell Derek Hale that you loved him?" The sheriff asks. 

 

"What?!" Stiles squawks. "Why are you suddenly bringing up Derek? I didn't bring up Derek? Who said anything about Derek? Anyway, this is all hypothetical, remember?" The sheriff sighs. Stiles' feeling for Derek may not have come with the same theatrics as his infatuation with Lydia, but the sheriff has seen enough to know what's going on. Stiles isn't nearly so subtle if you know where to look.  

 

The sheriff gets up from the table and brings his plate to the sink before going to shower and change out of his uniform. Stiles' shouting follows him up the stairs. 

 

"Dad! Where are you going? You're supposed to be helping me out here! The hypothetical me, I mean! Dad? Dad!" 

 

-[-----]- 

 

Stiles knew that he wouldn't be able to avoid Derek forever. He's certainly not that optimistic. But he thought he'd at least have one day to get over the embarrassment. He's completely wrong on that count because he runs into Derek at the supermarket the very next day. 

 

He doesn't literally run into him, thankfully, but that's only due to Derek's werewolf reflexes keeping their shopping carts from crashing into each other when they each turn a blind corner. 

 

They both freeze at the same time when they catch sight of each other. There's a flush high on Derek's cheeks and Stiles imagines that his own face probably has some similar colour on it. They stare at each other, completely silent, for a few minutes before Stiles decides that one of them has to try to dispel the awkwardness. 

 

"Derek!" He exclaims and, wow, his voice hasn't broken that badly since puberty. "Fancy seeing you here! In the only supermarket in town." 

 

Derek doesn't say anything to that. 

 

"So, how's it going?" Stiles asks. Derek continues to say nothing. Stiles is floundering a bit here. What do you say to someone who you've accidentally confessed your love to when you can't just brush it off as a joke because they can literally hear the lie? And, sure, it is true that Stiles isn't completely head over heels for Derek. But he is well on his way to being there. Enough so that any attempt at denial would give him away in seconds.  

 

The silence stretches on longer and Stiles doesn't know how to read it. The look on Derek's face seems to suggest that he's struggling with something, but that also may just be Stiles reading too much into things.  

 

"Well," Stiles eventually says when it becomes totally clear that this meeting has become a disaster. "Good talk. I'm just gonna, y'know, get out of your face now." Stiles starts to back up his cart to maneuver around Derek but then Derek is suddenly in his path, without his cart this time. 

 

"Wait," Derek says. Stiles stops. "About... About the phone call. Yesterday." And, oh god, this is the part where Derek tries to let Stiles down easily in the most awkward way possible, isn't it? Derek is glaring down at Stiles' hands where they're wrapped around the handle of his cart. Stiles immediately removes them and hides them behind his back. 

 

"Um, I don't suppose we could just completely forget it ever happened?" Stiles asks. Derek moves his glare up to Stiles' face and Stiles watches it actually soften until Derek looks less like an angry bear and more like a grumpy puppy.  

 

"What if," Derek says, sidling a bit closer. "What if I don't want to forget it?" Stiles gapes at him. There's hope swelling in his chest. Derek slowly reaches out and grabs one of Stiles' hands and threads their fingers together. Stiles' gaze whips back and forth from their clasped hands to Derek's red face. It takes another minute for Derek to actually look Stiles in the eye. 

 

"I'm not good with words, not for this," he says. But he's looking straight into Stiles' eyes, and Stiles gets it. A wide grin splits Stiles' face, he probably looks deranged now. 

 

Derek smiles softly at him anyway. 


End file.
